Palm Terrace

«Meh. I’ve experienced better.»
Just because this restaurant is in Newport & has a beautiful restaurant décor, doesn’t make your food taste amazing.
Came here for work with co-​workers for lunch and so glad I didn’t spend a dime because the food was very average. Nice to try once, but would not return.
–Décor: We sat outdoors and you feel like you’re in a mini, beautiful tropical area. Very nice atmosphere & very quaint, clean restaurant. The inside looks between the lines of upscale & modern.
–Food: Salmon was actually a bit raw in the middle! And the fish was a bit cold. Thoroughly disappointed with this entrée because the way they describe it sounds awesome: «Salmon Poached in California sparkling wine, summer succotash potato purée, mache, sauce vierge,» but it did not taste as good as it sounded and was actually quite bland.
–Service/​Poor listening skills: Co-​worker ordered filet of beef well-​done & the waiter kept insisting medium or medium rare in which she kept requesting well-​done. (It is my biggest pet peeve when servers fight back with customers on how they recommend a meat item to be cooked) When it came out, her filet cuts were thin and nearly raw (all pink/​red) that she did not even eat it. She packed it to-​go to microwave/​cook the rest at home hahah. Ridiculous.
–Prices for entrees: $ 20-​$ 35 per item

The service by everyone that served us was 5+ stars: comfortably attentive (never rushed), personable, respectful… and simply special! I enjoyed the comfortably elegant and quiet surroundings (allowing for easy conversation); the chairs are, perhaps, the most comfortable dining chairs I’ve experienced at a restaurant.
Both appetizers (mushrooms and skewered shrimp) were good, but not remarkable, nor worthy of their cost. Their Caesar salad was tasty, and a surprisingly generous portion. Apparently, they’re known for their short ribs; the presentation was very attractive and appetizing, atop a very small (but richly delicious) portion of risotto; although flavorful, a bit dry (in comparison to recently experiencing Thomas Hill Organics’ amazingly-​delicious-​and-​unbelievably-​tender short ribs in Paso Robles). Our chocolate dessert was fabulous!
Very enjoyable and special fine dining experience.

Great food, outstanding service. Maybe we were lucky on our first visit, but this is a great place for a quality dinner out. Don’t let the hotel location bother you.
Known for their short ribs, can’t miss. Split the ceasar salad, no problem. Everything was presented elegantly. @$ 120.00 for two with appetizer and wine.

Horrible ambiance ! Food was ok at best! Wouldn’t go back. This place has a really high Unilocal rating for what it is which is average. had to let people know.

My husband and I just celebrated our anniversary here and were very pleased with our experience.
Great ambiance, décor, service and food. We had the filet mignon, Chilean sea bass, sampling of tortilla soup, and a mousse-​like dessert. Loved every bite of everything!
Our server treated us like royalty.
We made reservations for the show in the lounge with musician, Jimmy Hopper. Wow, what a great performer.
We will definitely return!

I rolled right off a plane from SF and straight into a business meeting at this restaurant. I was starvin’ from a hectic day full of traveling and working.
I sat down and ordered a John Daly first thing (representing the 415 in the 949). My colleague and I then ordered the quesadilla (only on the bar menu) and a sweet potato & goat cheese flatbread.
The quesadilla was pretty yummy. It’s pretty hard to screw one of those up, although I’ve seen it done. I didn’t really taste the Oaxacan flavors, that minor flaw was forgotten due to the generous sides of salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Isn’t it cool when you don’t have to ask for them? Naturally you would want those with a quesadilla.
I was a little skeptical regarding the sweet potato flatbread, but it was quite tasty. Apparently sweet potatoes pair well with goat cheese. Who knew?
Time for another John Daly.
Because I was concerned about getting «business drunk,» we decided to order entrees. I could not resist, I ordered the burger with cheddar, hold the caramelized onions. I’ve decided that I hate anything with the adjective «caramelized» from now on. Frying or sautéing does not equal caramelized.
Boy howdy, that burger was bangin… It was that kind that when you bite into it, the juice from the burger dribbles down your chin. The burger was seasoned perfectly, and cooked medium, just as I ordered it. The burger was so good, condiments would have been overkill. I only ate half of it because when something tastes that good, I know it’s packing a fat-​ass calorie count.
Our server was very cool-​she has been working at this restaurant for 27 years. Wow.
I only had half of a bagel and a fruit cup for breakfast, but the menu had a lot of delicious sounding options.
As far as hotel restaurants go, this one is pretty great. Order the John Daly!

On a recommendation from a friend who recently dined at Palm Terrace, my aunt brought me here for lunch to celebrate my birthday. It was just the two of us on a Tuesday at one.
We showed up dressed very casually and although that was fine, this seems like a place where you would feel more comfortable putting a little effort into your appearance. There were a lot of business people in suits and most of the women were in sundresses. We were not the only people in shorts, but we still felt under-​dressed.
The menu has a lot of unusual and exciting options. This is a great place for «foodies».
My aunt isn’t a big eater and isn’t very adventurous, so she ordered the four-​way cheeseburger on the starter menu. It’s basically a normal burger cut into triangles to be shared and is served with a sprinkle of potato chips. I tried a triangle and it was fantastic. The meat was more like high quality steak and the bun was fresh.
I ordered the Hilu Hilu salad, which had greens, avocado, goat cheese and jicama with a mango dressing. It was a bizarre combination of tastes and textures that was delicious.
The bread basket was fabulous, especially the banana bread.
My aunt had a strong Mai Tai.
The service was outstanding, friendly and forever refilling my iced tea.
Overall, we had a very lovely lunch. However, given that there are so many great restaurants in the area, I’m not sure that I would rush back. The general vibe of the restaurant is lacking. It’s pretty and nice, but I felt like it lacked character. It reminded me of the 24 hour casual dining in Mandalay Bay Las Vegas– very similar décor. There was nothing wrong with it, but it lacked something that I can’t quite put my finger on.

The food was aesthetically pleasing and most were very good. The hotel is beautiful and valet parking is surprisingly FREE, what more can I ask for!

Wow! This place is amazing all across the board! Went here last night for my fiancés bday dinner and we LOVED it! Its very romantic and not loud at all… They have a great menu and a section of the menu has 50% off apps and wine. The selection of wine and food on this menu was so high quality i could believe it was half off! The service was 5 starts, Isaac was an awesome server. The food was again high quality and prepared wonderfully. We had the Chilean sea bass and ribeye and both were sooo decadent and flavorful ! Desert was delicious, chocolate cake and molten carrot cake with hazelnut ice cream… mmmm! We enjoyed this dinner start to finish! Its kinda of a hidden gem and prior to coming hadn’t heard much about this restaurant. But Palm Terrace is now, Hands down one of my favorite fine dinning restaurants in Orange County!

What a mediocre experience. Its only getting three stars because there is no way to give 2.5 stars. We came here for dinner on Saturday after purchasing a complementary dinner for 4 at a charity auction and we wanted to take some friends as a thank you. From the moment we were seated things were so slow. We sat there for more than a few minutes waiting for our server to introduce himself then more time while he got wine glasses for the wine, then more time before we could order. The whole dinner process was incredibly slow and made for some awkward moments when we all had dirty dishes sitting in front of us. The water boy seemed to only pour water and did not clear any plates or other dirty dishes. We each got different entrees and they were all just ok. I had the salmon and it was good, nothing spectacular. My husband had the short ribs and a friend had the sea bass. No one was blown away.
After dinner we wanted to save room for the Cocoa Lounge which ended up being a huge disappointment. I had expressed my excitement and my allergy concerns to the server and he did not bother to mention the restrictions on the chocolate bar. It turned out that I was only able to eat the truffles and there was no way I was going to spend the money for that dessert bar when I couldn’t eat it. Only one person in our group got the Chocolate bar, but no one else was offered any dessert. It would have been nice to have something sweet and nothing was offered.
Finally it took forever to get the check and leave. We were unimpressed with the service and the quality since this hotel is very nice and gets good reviews.
On an unrelated note, there was a charity event at the hotel that night and they failed to prepare for the valet parking rush. They had upwards of a 45 minute wait to get the car. That is crazy!

WONDERFUL!
Had lunch one afternoon out on the terrace and it was really good, our server was fantastic, and accommodating, food was delicious, fried Brussels sprouts with my petite filet were too die for!
And dessert… s’mores in a mason jar, Love it.

What!!! I had NO idea about this place! Farm to Table. Grass Fed Beef options and the BEST Tuna Poke. We LOVED it!
Décor could use some updating. Service was OUTSTANDING

The Palm Terrace lunch buffet continues on, in a good way. $ 10 pp, plus tax and tip
There are some slight changes every day in what is offered. Two of my favorite soups are the roasted corn cream soup and the curry chicken soup, both hot soups, very tasty, although the curry chicken soup suffers from not enough chicken but the taste is delicious and has a great curry kick! It is Summer, it is hot, but this is Newport Beach, so cool that you can feel the ocean breeze, even inside.
In the words of John Belushi of SNL «cheeseburger cheeseburger». Mini sliders every day, with a second mini of chicken or bbq pork sliders.
Water or iced tea offered complimentary, you want a pepsi or coke, you are paying for it, and it’s a bottle, so no refills. Dessert is included and changes every day. Personally I think the desserts are okay at best, certainly not worth saving the room for. My guess is that whoever is making the desserts is not the same chef or pastry chef for the actual Palm Terrace restaurant, as I hear delightful/​outstanding things about those desserts.
Head on over if you are in the area and would like a really good lunch for a really good price and in a pretty and relaxing atmosphere.

Had a wonderful dinner here with Anita L. The dining room was completely empty save for us so we received all the attention.
We sampled ahi (diced pears a nice touch), chicken sandwich), short ribs and salmon, delicious flatbread and addicting roasted garbanzo beans in the shell with Harissa spice.
Dessert was a sampler of lemon tart, cobbler and a s’mores jar filled with chocolate, caramel and toasted marshmallow with homemade Graham crackers.
The chef was charming, the service attentive, the space welcoming.

Palm Terrace is within the Island Hotel, I parked after 7PM on the street next to the hotel and walked up the pedestrian stairs.
I had the Waffles-​are not just-​for Breakfast: Salmon topped waffle with salad and cream sauce. Super delicious and unique. I also got a small serving of the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese with a side of Truffle fries, which seems more like strips of fried chips than fries (I split with my BF). Both of these items were cooked with truffle oil… I didn’t see a truffle on my plates. They were good but I think I prefer the Mac and Cheese from Charlie Palmers. My BF enjoyed his Salmon with Arroz Verde (Cilantro Rice) as the salmon was pan seared and had a great crispy topping.
But I really came here for the Cocoa Lounge. The sexy dessert buffet bar they have during February. It was an extra $ 12 following our dinner. This bar was filled with a lot of chocolate and peanut butter flavored desserts. So those with nut allergies beware!
My favorites were the:
chocolate bread pudding with whipped cream
the mocha pudding topped with chocolate covered krispies
fruit tarte
a tarte filled with mocha and topped with a chocolate coin
peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake
and my most favorite from the night, the lemon meringue
Disappointed with the petit fours next to the chocolate Eiffel Tower as they tasted super refrigerated and were really hard. Wished the macaron was chocolate or fleur de sel instead of raspberry. The Chocolate Lady Finger/​Éclair and the Red Velvet Cheesecake was bland. Would like to request more chocolate and caramel concoctions…
Ultimately, service was excellent and the food was delicious. Kinda wished for actual truffles in the truffle fries and Mac and Cheese (as the oil was making me nauseous). Also, the décor of the restaurant could use some updating… it just looks so hotel looking of the 90’s (I know I know, it is in a hotel) but it could use some updating to look more modern.
Overall, a lovely night out…

My friend Jacquie wanted me to hear this singer named Hopper, so we came here after having a lite bite to eat at the Playground. It was crowded and we were lucky to get two seats close to the stage.
The music was entertaining, and the drinks and service good. I’m not much into lounge acts but this guy was pretty good. It might of been the company. He had a great violinist that really added some punch to his songs.

I dined here with a client. Very impressive restaurant buried in the back of the Island Hotel. Staff is attentive — waiters that memorize your name, the table that you like, and your other preferences (they were very good to my client). Atmosphere is pleasant — quiet tables which area spread out. Quiet restaurant.
I had a Cobb Salad with Chicken in lieu of Ahi Tuna tossed. Amazing! The Salad was perfectly size with a good balance of romaine, avocado, tomatoes, bacon, egg and chicken. The dressing was creamy and complimented the salty bacon. The bread basket is FANTASTIC — check out the pretzel bread and the banana bread.
I love dining at fine hotels with talented chefts — Palm Terrace does not disappoint.

We dined here during OC restaurant week. 4 course meal for $ 40 bucks. It was an awesome deal for a gourmet meal and totally worth it. The portions are tiny, but the flavors makes up for it.
We were there with another couple, so we ordered all of the options on the menu:
Potato leek soup — creamy and packed with flavor
Tuna tartare — one of the best I have tasted by far. The fish was fresh and the sesame oil was not overwhelming at all.
Mac & Cheese with truffles — My husband mentioned that it was the best mac & cheese he has ever tasted. I concurred!
Salmon — It was perfectly cooked and lightly flavored.
Short ribs — I’m not a big meat eater, but this was freaken amazing. It had an Asian flare to it and was extremely tender (the meat just melts in your mouth).
Two amazing desserts (I can’t remember the name, but it sure was chocolate heaven!)
Also…they had a number of fresh bread that comes with a variety of dip, this is a must.
This started out as an affordable dinner, but after a bottle of wine and coffee, our bill more than tripled. Oops.

My friends and I decided to check out Palm Terrace Restaurant for OC Restaurant Week. I liked the easy cozy atmosphere, it made me feel relaxed. It was strange though, I wouldn’t have expected the casual environment with a steep pricey menu! lol.
The Amuse Bouche was a black bean soup in a small espresso cup. It was very cute! It was tasty but I don’t think it matched the cuisine for the restaurant. I expected a seasonal soup such as butternut squash. The breads however, were out of this world! I probably ate an entire basket of bread and was stuffed before any of my food came out! pretzel bread, cheese bread, sourdough, and parmesan crisps. But what was even more amazing was the homemade dipping sauces that the chef had prepared! He made this tomato pesto sauce which was so delicious, it had me wanting to lick my plate clean! Next, I had the Macaroni & cheese. The pasta was a little too al dente and the truffles were overpowering. It failed to maintain that «homey traditional» feel. I love mac & cheese but perhaps I am overly picky lol. My boyfriend and my friend had the Caesar salad fondue. They said it was an innovative idea but impractical for consumption! They also deemed it too salty. We plowed through a second bread basket before the entrée was served. My boyfriend and I had the beef short ribs while my friend had the chilean sea bass. The short ribs were very tender with a nice caramelized crust. However, in both my boyfriend and my entrée, the sauce was extremely salty and ruined the entire entrée. I only ate the pieces that did not touch the sauce. What a shame to an almost perfect entrée! My friend had the sea bass which I tasted. It was flakey and delicious! I wish I had gotten that instead. The server was quite accommodating, but as it got busy, our desserts were delayed for quite some time. I was beyond full by the time my dessert arrived. (Probably the bread’s fault!) I had the Valrhona chocolate obsession which in my opinion, was too sweet and needed some crème fraîche to even out the chocolate. My boyfriend and my friend had the balboa sundae, which in their opinion was very decadent! I had a taste and I was quite jealous as I wish I had gotten that as well!
Overall, the first time experience was just ok, nothing spectacular. I would probably return for the bread and dipping sauces, as well as the chilean sea bass.

The table next to us had scallops seared on the table using a block of pink salt. I couldn’t finish my second plate of Boston cream, chocolate banana, and pistachio cakes. You’ll need both sparkling water (served with lemon or lime slices) and tea to cut the richness. Hot teas are loose unbagged leaves but the selection is limited to chamomile, Earl Grey, English breakfast, and green. Bottled water is available as San Pellagrino/​Voss.
I recommend the chocolate cup of fruit and Marsala. I started with chocolate cheesecake, dark chocolate mousse, and Valrhona terrine. Orange pekoe black tea is served with a strainer. It has hints of honey so you don’t need to add sugar. Skip the chocolate crusted lemon curd because the filling is too strong.
Our waiter said that these deserts are rarely featured outside of the month of February. The bread pudding is refreshing because the flavor might be walnut based. The s’more halves were dry so I skipped the moonpies. Try the rum or whiskey truffles. There are fruit tarts if you get tired of chocolates at the Cocoa Lounge but a couple of them are unlabeled.